Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to honour one of my constituents, Judy Carroll, for 40 years of nursing service in Sioux Lookout.

Over the past 15 years, Judy focused her career on cancer care and treatment.

Starting out in Sioux Lookout's small satellite chemotherapy unit, she played a pivotal role in the direction, administration and coordination of expanded cancer care and treatment in the Sioux Lookout zone. Nurses like myself, working in the many remote communities that the Sioux Lookout zone serves, appreciated that patients sent to Sioux Lookout for cancer care and treatment would be well cared for by special nurses like Judy.

She was active in Canadian Cancer Society events and this year was thoughtfully recognized for her years of dedication to oncology services. Judy retired this past summer and she is greatly admired and respected by her patients, their families, her colleagues and communities across the Sioux Lookout zone.

I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating her nursing career. We extend best wishes to Judy on her retirement. She is another example of what is so great about the great riding of Kenora.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a riding in which there is such a variety of community organizations. They provide services for seniors, educational services and recreational activities in low-income neighbourhoods. They fight poverty, work with homeless youth and protect the environment.

Congratulations to all those who give their time and energy and who help enrich community life in Pierrefonds—Dollard. I am thinking, for example, of the dedicated employees of Projet communautaire de Pierrefonds, who have not had a wage increase in 20 years. One employee even took a pay cut so that the organization could carry on with its mission.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of West Island Community Shares, which is organizing a walk on October 6 to launch its fundraising campaign. This year's goal is to raise $1 million for west island community organizations. Thank you in advance to all those who will donate or who will volunteer this year. I thank the activists who believe in the importance of the essential services provided by too-often underfunded organizations, such as those in my riding.

Mr. Speaker, this is Mental Illness Awareness Week in Canada, a week to raise awareness about the challenges of mental illness and to celebrate the fact that recovery is possible.

Mental illness directly affects millions of Canadians. Indirectly it touches us all. Though many of us know someone with mental illness, the stigma associated with the words “mental illness” is strong and deep.

Perhaps some people are wary of those with mental illness because it is an illness that they do not understand. Breaking the stigma and ignorance is one of the purposes of Mental Illness Awareness Week for as we break the fear we diminish the stigma.

This is also a week to support friends and family who deal with the burden of mental illness every day. We must understand that, just as with cancer and diabetes, recovery is possible.

This is also a week to remember those who did not win their struggle with mental illness. We remember them for who they were and not for the illness that consumed them. In their memory, we must challenge the stigma and open our hearts to our fellow Canadians impacted by mental illness.

Mr. Speaker, in 1936 the Canadian Broadcasting Act replaced the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission with a crown corporation known as CBC/Radio-Canada.

For three-quarters of a century, the CBC has contributed to the nation's history by broadcasting the great stories and events of this country, both regionally and nationally. Whether it is news, sports, entertainment or content for children and youth, the CBC delivers stellar programming that reflects our national identity.

From This Hour has Seven Days to This Hour Has 22 Minutes, from coast to coast to coast we are proud of the CBC. On our eastern shore we watch The Republic of Doyle from beautiful St. John's. On our western shore we fondly remember The Beachcombers. In the north there is North of 60.

The CBC has been a great reflection of who we are and who we will continue to be.

On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, we congratulate the CBC on its 75th anniversary and thank it for the important role it plays today. We wish the CBC all the best in the next--

Mr. Speaker, autumn in Prince Edward—Hastings is a wonderful time of year. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular. I welcome one and all to our rolling farmland, pristine lakes and colourful hardwoods.

However, autumn is also a time of magnificent agricultural bounty thanks to the tremendous efforts of our farmers and their work and skill over the years. We can take a stroll through any of our farmers' markets and see many of the locally grown products of this fall harvest available, whether they be tomatoes, plump peaches, juicy apples, peppers or grapes.

William Pitt, first Earl of Chatham, once said:

Trade increases the wealth and glory of a country; but its real strength and stamina are to be looked for among the cultivators of the land.

On that note, I would like to thank all our farmers and producers for all they do and all they contribute. It is because of their tireless efforts that we are able to partake of such delicious and nutritious food.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Sisters in Spirit held vigils all across Canada including here on Parliament Hill. Thousands of people of all backgrounds gathered to honour the lives of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls.

We in the aboriginal community have seen hundreds upon hundreds of our mothers, sisters, cousins, daughters and granddaughters fall victim to violence and disrespect. We must remember that these victims are not only ours, they are also the friends, neighbours, partners and co-workers of all Canadians.

As the duly elected legislators of this country, we must come together to end this scourge. We owe it to the 600 victims we remembered yesterday and their grieving families. We owe it to all the women and girls who have yet to fall victim. We owe it to people like our daughters.

As October is Women's History Month, we have a rare chance before us to act. We have a chance to change the course of history of Canada's aboriginal women. In that spirit, I call upon the government to call a full national inquiry to--

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute commanding officer Jamie Tennant and the entire ship's company of the HMCS Montreal, the Halifax class frigate that has just returned from its Great Lakes deployment.

This annual event provides Canadians an opportunity to tour a navy vessel and discover career opportunities available with the Canadian Forces. I was pleased to sail with the Montreal at the beginning of the deployment as part of the Canadian Forces parliamentary program. I saw first-hand the skills and dedication necessary to keep a Canadian warship running. From the engine room, to the kitchen, to the bridge, each woman and man has a vitally important role and each does his or her job well.

My grandfather, Keith Bateman, served in the Royal Canadian Navy in the 1950s. I am pleased to be part of a Conservative government that has restored the “Royal” designation to Canada's navy.

From Halifax and Esquimalt to wherever we ask it to go, today's Royal Canadian Navy continues to do Canada proud.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sense of gratitude that I rise today to thank the people of Prince George—Peace River, including my wife, kids and parents who are with us today, for entrusting me with the responsibility of representing their interests here in Ottawa.

To that end, local community and business leaders in my riding have made it clear that we must continue to promote oil and gas as a stable, secure and ethical source of energy.

Canada is fortunate to have an abundance of natural energy resources. In fact, energy represents roughly 7% of our gross domestic product and creates hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs across this country.

In resource-rich regions like northeastern B.C., our government continues to support an industry that is creating jobs and economic opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 to celebrate the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels. In Canada, this year's theme for World Teachers' Day is “Teachers: Inspiring students, awakening potential”.

There is more to teaching than simply transferring knowledge. You have to inspire the children, unleash their potential and give them a new way of looking at things. Teaching means helping students turn their dreams of a better world into reality.

I would like to encourage all the members of the House to demonstrate their appreciation for the wonderful work done by Canada's teachers.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave our government a strong mandate to keep our streets and communities safe. That is why our government urged the public safety committee to undertake a study of drugs in the prison system.

As we know, developing drug-free prisons was a key commitment that our government made to Canadians in the recent election.

However, not all seem to agree with this common-sense approach. In fact, at the invitation of the NDP member for Surrey North, the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies appeared at the committee yesterday to push its soft-on-criminals agenda. Among other outrageous comments, this group stated that strip-searching inmates to ensure that they are not smuggling illicit drugs or other contraband is a systematic “sexual assault by the state”.

Not only is this a slap in the face to our correctional officers and legally dubious, it is absolutely insulting to those who have actually been victimized by a sexual predator.

I call on the NDP to finally stop putting the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of law-abiding Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, this year's Women's History Month recognizes the invaluable contributions made by women within our armed forces. Their sense of duty and tremendous courage are a true source of inspiration. Our country's social progress is linked to the battles and victories won by women over the past 144 years—women like Nancy Riche from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Even so, much remains to be done. Over the past two weeks, I have met with members of two aboriginal groups, Walk 4 Justice and Families of Sisters in Spirit, people who have been through the unthinkable. These people all have a daughter, mother, sister or cousin who was murdered. In their grief, they have joined forces in order to have their needs heard and to seek justice.

I encourage the government to meet with them, to listen to them and to support them, so that we can make history together by putting an end to violence against aboriginal women.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is number one. We are the best country for job-creating investment. Forbes, the influential business magazine, just said so this week. Canada is leading the way as the best country to do business. Our Conservative government is focused on what matters to Canadians: creating jobs and promoting economic growth.

Forbes' ranking of Canada as the best place in the world for business to grow and create jobs is yet another example of our global economic leadership. It declared that Canada's economy has held up better than most, praising our low-tax plan for Canadian businesses.

However, Canada is not immune to the economic turbulence facing the global economy. That is why the Conservative government is working hard to implement the next phase of Canada's economic action plan and its job creating measures, like the hiring credit for small businesses.

The last thing Canada's families need now is the NDP's massive job-killing tax hikes that would cost jobs and hurt our economy.